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Winter 2024 Impressions: Fluffy Paradise, Gushing Over Magical Girls, Ishura

by Lenlo, posted in Some Quick First Impressions

Fluffy Paradise

Short Synopsis: Grown woman gets isekai’ed with the power to make non-human creatures love her. Also she’s like… 6. Disney Princess the anime.

The new season is here! And the first show we start off with is… An isekai. And a dull one at that. As far as isekai go this one is rather harmless. It’s a fluffy, cute, non-serious show about a girl petting magical creatures. Does it look good? No. Is it narratively compelling? No. Is there any reason to watch it beyond de-stressing while a little girl looks after some animals? Not really. Yes there’s an implied dragon fight at the end, but I bet 50$ that the next episode will start with that dragon falling in love with the little girl and turning into a goddamn house cat. If I’m being honest though, the older I get the more I come to see the appeal of this sort of show. Personally it’s not my thing. I think Fluffy Paradise is boring as sin. It’s just not how I like to relax. If you want to relax to an anime Disney Princess chilling with animals though, I won’t judge you.

Potential: 5%

Gushing Over Magical Girls

Short Synopsis: Middle schooler gets transformed into a Mahou Shoujo villain, proceeds to sexually assault all available magical girls.

Ignoring the blatant and disturbing fetishization of middle schoolers, with full nipple at that, Akogarete is nothing special. The production is average at best and mostly forgettable. The comedy is mediocre, though whether that’s due to the jokes being bad or this just not being my brand of humor is up for debate. Whatever the case, I can’t say I laughed at anything. That leaves the elephant in the room, the fetishization of middle schoolers. Akogarete is, in a word, disgusting. That makes it pretty standard an ecchi series, where the only reason to watch the show is to get a weekly dose of children being groped and sexually assaulted in a variety of ways while another kid watches and gets off to it. Unlike shows like Onimai however, which can at least attempt to claim some greater purpose like the trans experience, Akogarete is softcore porn and nothing. I cannot understate how much I hate this show. Do not watch it. I will judge you for this one.

Potential: We’re all going to jail for watching this.

Ishura

Short Synopsis: Local jackass Isekai MC with a sword fights giant monsters without caring about property damage. Local girl takes issue with this, decides to try and lead him to his death.

The good thing for Ishura is that after watching Akogarete the floor is so low, I could not possibly be disappointed or upset by it. From the looks of things though, Ishura doesn’t need it. Production wise it isn’t anything too special, at least not for the most part. The CGI robots look fine enough, nothing great, and the giant fuck-off lazer was pretty cool, especially with the choice of coloring. I’d say the two words that most embody Ishura right now are “Ambition” and “Gore”. It tries for things that the production team doesn’t seem sure it can do, like the whole “Climbing the robot” sequence. I can respect that, I think ambition goes a long way, even if it doesn’t always work. For Gore, well… Ishura is pretty brutal so far. I’m talking ripping off arms and legs, blood splatters, it’s a pretty gorey show! If that’s not your thing you’ll probably hate it as much as I do Akogarete, because it’s very much a “murder porn” first episode. If you can get past that though, it might be fun. I’d say the biggest thing holding it back right now is the OP MC who is less of a character and more of a wild animal only looking to fight strong things. If not for the Female MC, who plans on leading him from fight to fight hoping to find one that can kill him, there probably wouldn’t be much here. For now though? I’m curious to see where it goes, I’m down for generally villainous MCs, and while the production isn’t the best I want to see how far Ishura’s ambition will go. Will this be the highlight of its season, the most it can give us? Or will it push itself until the production falls apart? Or maybe it will even be that 1-in-a-million show that shoots its shot and somehow lands. I don’t know! But I’m intrigued enough to follow along. For now.

Potential: 50%

Guest Post: Unearthed Baubles with Firechick – Astro Boy 1980 (70/100)

by Lenlo, posted in Anime Reviews

On April 3rd, 1952, Osamu Tezuka started up a new manga that would later become not only one of his most iconic works, but become a staple in Japanese children’s media that still continues to be beloved to this very day. That manga was Astro Boy, or its Japanese title, Tetsuwan Atom. Astro Boy as a character became a popular icon, helped by the fact that the 1963 anime adaptation of the manga was the first ever serialized anime series to ever air on Japanese television (Or at least, one with an ongoing plot), running for a full 193 episodes across three to four years. Said anime was also the first Japanese animated TV series to be brought over to the United States and dubbed into English, though not every episode was dubbed. I’ve only seen one episode of the 60s anime for a college class, and…it’s definitely a product of its time, mainly because its animation, while it may have been considered good when it was first made, by modern standards is extremely primitive. Seriously, most of the action scenes in the 60s Astro Boy consist of nothing but still images and cutaways, that’s it. Though it seemed even Tezuka and his team realized how poorly the 60s series had aged, as later on, they decided to form a company called Tezuka Productions for the sole purpose of remaking the Astro Boy anime from scratch, which would come to fruition in 1980. Said 80s remake of Astro Boy is the subject of today’s review, as last year, the mad lads at Discotek Media managed to license it and put it out on Blu-Ray. Now that I’ve seen the entire series, my verdict is…it’s okay. It definitely looks amazing for its time, and is a pretty good kids show in its own right, but even without having seen the 60s series, the 1980 remake has some problems of its own.

Continue reading “Guest Post: Unearthed Baubles with Firechick – Astro Boy 1980 (70/100)” →

In Praise of 2023’s Short Anime

by SuperWooper, posted in Short Anime Recommendations

Wooper: Happy New Year, everyone! I hope your 2023 was safe and successful. Mine was more productive than usual, thanks in part to my greatly reduced anime-watching habits. I still stay abreast of what’s scheduled to air every three months, and tune into the handful of shows I’m likely to enjoy (your Frierens and Skip and Loafers and whatnot), but I’m not much for the seasonal grind at this point in my life. One thing that hasn’t changed about me, however, is my interest in short-form anime, so I’ve returned to recommend four such shows to start 2024 off right. They include a supernatural hangout comedy from China, a surreal trip into the imagination of an animal fanatic, and two long overdue adaptations of works by acclaimed mangaka. Let’s begin with the first one after the jump:

Continue reading “In Praise of 2023’s Short Anime” →

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Review – 61/100

by Lenlo, posted in Anime Reviews, Finished Series: Action, Jujutsu Kaisen, Reviews by Lenlo

Lets not beat around the bush, you know what Jujutsu Kaisen is. Animated by studio MAPPA, directed by Shouta Goshozono and originally created by Gege Akutami, Jujutsu Kaisen is one of Shounen Jump’s flagship series. Being the 3rd oldest currently printing series in the magazine behind only One Piece and My Hero Academia, it’s built up its fair share of fans. Many of whom proclaim that it “Changed Shounen forever”! Is that true? I don’t really know. So why do I bring it up, why is it relevant? Because this season adapts what is widely believed to be Jujutsu Kaisen’s biggest and best arc, its Marineford, its Cell Saga, the thing that will define it for years to come: Shibuya. And we’re going to talk about it! So without further ado, lets dive into this monumental season of Jujutsu Kaisen and see if it lives up to the hype.

Be warned, this review contains minor unmarked spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1&2. It also contains major spoilers in some sections however these will be heavily marked to avoid accidents. Continue reading “Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Review – 61/100” →

Migi & Dali Review – 86/100

by Lenlo, posted in Anime Reviews, Finished Series: Mystery/Suspense, Migi & Dali, Reviews by Lenlo

Animated horror can be a pretty hard genre to nail. You know what you’re watching, so you’re expecting to be scared, and it being animated removes it from the real world, narrowing your options. Comedy can be similarly difficult. Due to how subjective it be, its common to fall back on slapstick, what with animations malleable bodies and stylized violence. But what if I were to tell you there was an anime that does both? A situational comedy that gets laughs not from banana peels or pies to the face, but absurd surreal situations? That successfully transitions to a full blown horror, complete with a murder mystery? Well that show is what I’m here to talk about today. Animated studio GEEKTOYS, directed by Mankyuu and originally created by the late Nami Sano who passed earlier this year, I give to you my favorite anime of Fall 2023: Migi & Dali.

Be warned, this review contains minor unmarked spoilers for Migi & Dali. It also contains major spoilers in some sections however these will be heavily marked to avoid accidents. Continue reading “Migi & Dali Review – 86/100” →

The Big O Review – 84/100 – Throwback Thursday

by Lenlo, posted in Anime Reviews, Finished Series: Action, Reviews by Lenlo, The Big O, Throwback Thursday

In the 90’s there aired a now legendary TV show called Batman: The Animated Series. With its combination of film noir and art deco visual styles, it basically defined what Batman would look and sound like for decades to come. I bring this up because working on said legendary show was a little known studio you might have heard of by the name of Sunrise. They, with Kazuyoshi Katayama as Director and Chiaki Konaka of Serial Experiments Lain and Texhnolyze fame as Series Composition, would go on to create the cult classic mecha anime we are here to talk about today: The Big O. What would happen if you gave Bruce Wayne a giant robot? Or if Robin was a female android with a skill for witticisms? All animated by the studio known for their giant robots and written by a man with a penchant for… The weird. Lets dive in and find out.

Be warned, this review covers both seasons of The Big O and contains minor unmarked spoilers for both. It also contains major spoilers in some sections however these will be heavily marked to avoid accidents. Continue reading “The Big O Review – 84/100 – Throwback Thursday” →

Fall 2023 What-I’m-Watching Summary – Week 13

by Lenlo, posted in Weekly Summary

Shangri-La Frontier – 13 [Only Resentments About the End of Life Remain]

We got a lore dump episode! Getting some hints as to the creation of the origins of the Seven Colossi, like calling Lycagon “Sooty” implying it was not only someone’s pet but that Setsuna was aware of it’s existence thousands of years ago, as well as some prep for the Wethermon fight. Speaking of Setsuna, we meet Setsuna of Bygone Days, an NPC required for summoning Wethermon and apparently a ghost from a previous civilization. There’s a lot of little hints here about more Shangri-La lore, but what I liked the most was Pencil opening up a bit and getting involved in the game. I really liked how the PKing madwoman has a soft spot for something like this, is still able to get emotionally invested in a game and take it seriously. It’s nice that Shangri-La isn’t forgetting that while this is a game, it’s a piece of media first and foremost, something people can get invested in and can mean special things to the right person. I liked that. I also really liked Sunraku and Katsu’s argument. Hell the relationship between all three of them is just great. They really feel like a group of gamers taking the piss out of each other but still able to be serious and emotionally available for each other when it matters. I guess the best way to say it is that Shangri-La went all in on the emotions this week, and it really worked for me. Plus we got to see Sunraku’s family, which was cool. I swear to god I thought they were all dead or something.

Continue reading “Fall 2023 What-I’m-Watching Summary – Week 13” →

Winter 2024 Season Preview

by Lenlo, posted in Seasonal Previews

Lenlo: It’s the end of the year everyone! I hope you’re staying warm and having a happy holidays. Personally, I have a metric shit ton to write before my next semester of grad school starts up mid January, so I am happy to announce that Wooper decided to make a short return and help me preview the Winter 2024 season for you all! We have a fair number of shows, some that will probably crash and burn like Fire Hunter Season 2, others that may actually be worth your time such as Dungeon Meshi and A Sign of Affection. Sadly though, there doesn’t appear to be anything too great to look forward to. Well nothing new at any rate, Undead Unluck and Frieren will still be going strong for a few weeks yet. And hey, who knows! Maybe something will surprise us like Migi & Dali did. Only time will tell. For now that, take a look at what you can expect from the next season!

What will you be watching this winter?
VoteResults

Continue reading “Winter 2024 Season Preview” →

Fall 2023 What-I’m-Watching Summary – Week 12

by Lenlo, posted in Weekly Summary

Heads up, with some shows coming to an end I’m going to slip some tentative final scores underneath their section. These are very loose, not exact at all, and really more of a general “How I feel” sort of thing. Don’t take them to seriously, most of them, and this post, is off the cuff.

The Apothecary Diaries – 11 [Reducing Two to One]

I KNEW IT! I CALLED IT LAST WEEK! I knew Jinshi was Ah-Duo’s kid. Sure, Apothecary Diaries doesn’t say it outright, but the implication is clear and it’s doing everything short of telling us what happened. That Ah-Duo knew her child would always be playing second-fiddle to the Empress’s kid and so had them swapped. That’s how Jinshi grew up in such an important position despite his young age, why they look so similar. And you know what else? I think Jinshi knows, because he was clearly crying at his mother having to leave the palace, why else would they be having a late-night drink. FURTHERMORE, and this is where I get really conspiratory, I think Ah-Duo killed the Empress’s child, the one now being raised as her own, on purpose. She did it to ensure Jinshi’s place even if they were found out, which they were and that’s why Mao Mao’s father was expelled for not noticing. She didn’t cry for the loss of her son, but because she murdered an innocent child to secure her own child’s future. Do I think Fengming was in on that last bit? No, not really. She probably legitimately thinks she killed Ah-Duo’s son, and has regretted it ever since, that’s why she was so willing to take the deal Mao Mao offered where she kept quiet about the honey in exchange for Fengming coming forward on her own.

Suffice to say, this was all great. I absolutely loved all of this. I’m not normally that interested in politics in anime. But Apothecary Diaries managed to make it really interesting and it presented it just subtly enough that the viewer got the core of what was going on, the important stuff required for the story to continue, while hiding even more just underneath the surface for those paying attention. I really like that, it makes all of these characters so much more compelling. Same with getting the see Jinshi’s vulnerable side, like him and Mao Mao in the shadow of the wall, or just how tired Ah-Duo’s face was in those flashbacks. Some really good characterization from Apothecary Diaries this week. Finally it even sets us up for future plots, such as the implication at the end that Mao Mao’s kidnapping wasn’t quite as “random” as we may have thought. Was it perhaps done on purpose to get her into the rear palace? I suppose we will have to wait and see. Whatever the case though, the conclusion to this political plot has made me a lot more comfortable trusting Apothecary Diaries moving forward.

Continue reading “Fall 2023 What-I’m-Watching Summary – Week 12” →

Guest Post: Unearthed Treasure with Firechick – Pokemon Paldean Winds (78/100)

by Lenlo, posted in Anime Reviews

So…would Pokemaniacs kill me if I said that I was more excited for this than the announcement of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet getting DLC? Pokemon: Paldean Winds is yet another short animated web series centered in the Pokemon universe, and to be honest, I’m really happy the Pokemon Company is allowing these to be made. All of them have been really good in their own ways, and even the weakest ones still have something to offer. So you can bet I was excited as all hell for Pokemon: Paldean Winds as soon as it was announced. Now that I’ve seen all of it, I do feel it could have done more with itself, but I’m still happy with what we got. Taking place before the events of the games, Paldean Winds centers on three students at Naranja Academy—Ohara, Aliquis, and Hohma—who are tasked by Director Clavell to make a video for incoming new students to show that the school is a great place to learn about Pokemon. But the three students are having trouble getting anything done on account of Ohara’s shyness, Aliquis being an arrogant prick, and Hohma getting too excited about whatever interests him.

Continue reading “Guest Post: Unearthed Treasure with Firechick – Pokemon Paldean Winds (78/100)” →